Blown steer tire dash cam

If you have centramatics they will take the vibration away but it takes a few seconds sometimes (for the counterbalance to find its level). Nobody ever has a warning when a steer is about to let go, if there was a warning nobody would keep going (would they?). Two things I NEVER mess with, steer tires and front end components, cheapen up on either of those and people die.

 

For those of you who never blew a steer tire, let me tell you....you LOSE CONTROL IN A SPLIT SECOND!.....almost all control of steering.
It happens so fast you cant even breath.
Catches you off guard like nothing else.
I used to be the one to call bs and say no way, its the drivers fault for rolling it. But after having my own blow out, I now know....
Its no joke.....

I blew one doing 65/70 in ND loaded grossing 140k....
It was the one and only time in my life driving that I go scared for my life.
I didn't roll it but it took every muscle in my body to keep that pig on the road and not in the ditch.
I blew the right front also.

 

Times like this you question the logic of a one piece fiberglass hood.

Even if you don't roll or ditch, you've got over $5k in damage to the truck.

I can't imagine the conversation you had with safety after that. Did they try to hang you out to dry?

Hard to justify skimping on the cost of new steers when the alternative is so ugly.

 

I had a steer go once in a boiler truck and it went with a heck of a bang since we use the boiler in people's back yards and what not had real wide steers. When it blew it picked the front end up pushed it into left lane when it came down jerked back right took all I had not to slam into guard rail.
Talk about butt puckered had 2 250 gal propane tanks filled to 80% not a foot from my head.
The one we had was setup about like this one.

 

Fortunately, i've never blown a steer but my tire guy told me some drivers even dislocate their shoulder just from the initial jerk/pull of blowing a steer. Is that true?

 

18k in damage when said and done.
Saftey came out right when it happened. It happened 3 miles from terminal.
He was amazed I kept it up. He followed the marks in the road and said :looks like you had a flat and pulled over".
He called service truck to come out and change my wheel and tire. I limped to unload 5 miles away doing 5 mph with flashers on and him in front and a truck behind me. It happened late at night.
The company I was at when this happend, was very strict but also fair. They didnt want anything on thier record just as much as I didnt want to put something there.

So nothing happened of this and he uses the pics in his saftey videos to this day.
I also coincidentally made the training video that they use to train new drivers.
Saftey guy was more then fair with me. He could of had my balls on a stick after that blow out. Even if it wasnt my fault.

 

My wrists were sore for a few days. It took every ounce of muscle I had in me to pull it to the right and keep it out the ditch.
Im 6'1 255lbs and constantly go to the gym. So I am no slouch by any means. I would of had a bad day if I wouldn't of been in shape at the time. I couldn't believe the power it took to keep it on the road. It was like it didnt have power steering and trying to turn it in a parking lot standing still. I kid you not it took every ounce of strength I had in me to hold it.
It turley scared me to the point I almost said fug it and went home.

 

Recaps werent legal steer tires even back when us irresponsible old skewl drivers were starting out!
I work for an outfit that does some deliveries in some pretty bad spots, so lots of drivers jumping curbs. I get switched around from truck to truck to cover guys who need time off.
90% of my Pre-trip is focused on those steer tires, looking for bumps, cups, any sign of broken belts! IMO if there is any uneven wear, or vibration, them tires are going on the trailer!
I have seen a few guys pop a steer tire in trucks with manual steering and managed to keep it on the road. Other hand I have seen a few where the rim actually dug into the pavement, but also noticed there was no sign of that rim digging in while the truck was going straight, just dig marks heading off to the ditch.
Never lost a steer tire, but would just guess that having a cool head and maybe using a lot of upper body muscle will keep the truck and yourself in one piece.

Saving some throttle so you can floor it when you loose a steer tire sounds like complete desk jocky BS to me!